Moms Who Were Preemies May Have a Difficult Pregnancy

Were you an early arrival? If so, you may encounter some difficulties during your pregnancy. A new study suggests that pregnancy complications are more common among women who were born early themselves.

In the study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, researchers analyzed data on women born between 1976 and 1995 who delivered at least one baby between 1987 and 2008. The study included 7,405 women who’d been born preterm and 16,714 women who’d been born at term. They found that the earlier a woman had been born, the greater her chances of having a complication during pregnancy, such as such as gestational diabetes or high blood pressure.

According to the study, 19.9 percent of women who were born before 32 weeks of pregnancy had at least one complication, while 13.2 percent of women born between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy, and 11.7 percent of women who were born at full-term (at least 37 weeks), experienced a complication during their pregnancy.

Although the researchers have yet to find a direct connection between preterm birth and pregnancy complications, they believe it lies in undiagnosed risk factors these women have had since birth. For example, studies have shown that children and young adults born preterm are more likely to have higher blood pressure, a risk factor for pregnancy complications.

Were you a preterm baby? Did you experience any complications during pregnancy?